Toronto
has no shortage of good Italian restaurants. So, it was surprising that when Bestellen
closed it’d be re-opened as … another Italian restaurant. Nevertheless, Chef
Rob Rossi comes from that background and the food at Bestellen was good, so
a visit to Giulietta … another pasta, pizza, and meat establishment … was a
must.

My outlook
improved when the burrata ($30) was set on the table. The cheese draped with thin
slices of salty prosciutto, why mess with a great combination?

Since
the bread wasn’t toasted or oiled, it was a bit chewy and difficult to get a
knife through, so if it was cut thinner it would be even better. The caramelized
onion and fig spread on the bread was absolutely delicious and went so nicely
with the milky flavourful cheese, which was served at a perfect room
temperature. The staggering $30 price tag was a bit of a surprise though… note to self, always ask for prices with
specials.

Well
marbled beef was used in the carne cruda
di chianina ($19) and while I couldn’t taste the fried garlic mentioned on
the menu, the anchovy was an interesting addition to the mix. We’re asked if we’d
like a side of bread ($3) which, in my opinion, is a must. You really need
something to spread the beef tartare on or it’d be way too salty and
overpowering on its own. For those that are abstaining from carbs, perhaps a
salad would help balance the flavourful beef.

Even one
of Giulietta’s pizzas would be a great shared starter. The l'amentea ($21) has a healthy portion of
spicy soppressata and tons of garlic
that would give Count Dracula a scare. I love garlic so found it went nicely
with the soppressata, but did drown
out the fior di latte, which became more for its creamy chewy texture than flavour. The well blistered crust was coloured evenly and had a lovely chewy texture, but could be thicker in the
middle as the paper-thin centre became lost amongst the sauce.

The chestnut
agnolotti ($26) was not as hearty as expected, possibly due to the ricotta
folded into the chestnut paste or the sheer amount of the guanciale used in the pasta, giving the dish a salty property. While
it’s a good dish, I did expect more flavours. After all, it's supposed to incorporate earthy
chestnuts and sweet 20-year balsamico.
In reality, the most prevalent flavour was bacon, which like the garlic in the
pizza, can be welcomed if you LOVE the ingredient or overpowering if you don’t.

Although
the salty rosemary crust on the bracioli
di maiale ($42) would have been too strong, giving the pork a slight bitter
aftertaste. Once a smear of sweet fennel and apricot mostarda was added to the pork chop, the flavours gelled together
and really worked, especially when mixed with a piece of fat. It’s a rather
sizeable portion but arrives pre-sliced so can be shared family style.

For
chocolate lovers the gianduja torta ($12)
has a lovely silky texture and combines wonderfully with the salted caramel, both
flavours equally balanced. It’s especially good with the crunchy toasted
hazelnut pieces. Imagine having Ferrero Rocher in a tart form, to another
level.

While the dinner
was good, there wasn’t much that stuck out about the experience to make it
memorable and proclaim it as something that makes
Giulietta. For now, I'll consider it another good Italian restaurant in Toronto.